The association between N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level and long-term mortality in Japanese hemodialysis patients has not been fully assessed.
This prospective, multicenter study included 1428 hemodialysis outpatients. Baseline NT-proBNP levels were measured at the first hemodialysis session of the week and participants were followed for 5years. The areas under the curve were calculated from receiver operating characteristic curves. Groups determined by quartiles of baseline NT-proBNP level were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. The association between NT-proBNP level and mortality was assessed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.
During the 5-year follow-up, we observed 370 deaths and 256 censored cases. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/dibutyryl-camp-bucladesine.html The areas under the curve of pre-hemodialysis NT-proBNP for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality after 1year were 0.75 and 0.78, respectively, and significantly greater than the areas under the curve at the 3- and 5-year follow-up. Cut-off values for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality after 1year were 4550 and 5467ng/L, respectively (sensitivity 82% and 81%; specificity 59% and 64%). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the group with pre-hemodialysis NT-proBNP???8805ng/L had increased all-cause mortality (P?&lt;?0.001) and cardiovascular disease mortality (P?&lt;?0.001). Finally, multivariate Cox analysis showed that NT-proBNP level was associated with all-cause mortality (P?&lt;?0.001) and cardiovascular disease mortality (P?=?0.004) independently from other clinical parameters.
NT-proBNP is a useful marker to predict both all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in hemodialysis patients.
NT-proBNP is a useful marker to predict both all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in hemodialysis patients.Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability among adults. Falls and motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are the most common causes of TBI hospitalizations in Canada. The purpose of this study was to determine whether, at the provincial level, there have been significant changes in the injury rate and causes of major TBI. This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients in Nova Scotia who presented with major TBI (Abbreviated Injury Scale Head score???3) between 2002 and 2018. Prospectively entered data were collected from the Nova Scotia Trauma Registry. Annual injury rates were calculated based on 100,000 population (all ages) using population estimates from Statistics Canada. Linear regression was performed to analyze annual trends of major TBI within the province. There were 5590 major TBI patients in Nova Scotia during the 16-year study period. The overall annual rate of major TBI was 37 per 100,000 population. There was a 39% increase in the rate of major TBI over the study period (r?=??-?0.72, R2?=?0.51, p? less then ?0.002). Patients had a mean age of 51?±?25 years; 72% were male. The proportion of TBIs in males decreased significantly from 76% in 2002 to 69% in 2017 (p? less then ?0.001). Mechanisms of injury were predominantly falls (45%) and MVCs (29%); the proportion of violent injuries was 11.5%. The rate of fall-related TBIs more than doubled between 2002 and 2017, increasing from 9.1 to 20.5 injuries per 100,000 (p? less then ?0.001). Our findings demonstrate an increasing incidence of major TBI over a 16-year period with a greater than two-fold increase in the rate of fall-related TBI. These results are important for targeting TBI prevention efforts in reducing falls, especially in older adults.Public health crises require individuals, often volunteers, to help minimize disasters. The COVID-19 pandemic required such activation of individuals, but little is known about medical students' preferences of such engagement. We investigated potential variations in medical students' educational preferences, attitudes, and volunteerism during the COVID-19 pandemic based on socio-demographics to better prepare for future activation scenarios. A web-based, anonymous survey of U.S. medical students at a single institution was conducted in May 2020. Across four training year, 518 (68% response rate) students completed the survey. During the pandemic, 42.3% (n?=?215) wanted to discontinue in-person clinical experiences, 32.3% (n?=?164) wanted to continue, and 25.4% (n?=?129) were neutral. There was no gender effect for engagement in volunteer activities or preference to engage in clinical activities during the pandemic. However, second-year (n?=?59, 11.6%) and third-year students (n?=?58, 11.4%) wanted to continue in-person clinical experiences at a greater proportion than expected, while a small proportion of fourth-year students (n?=?17, 3.3%) wanted to continue, χ2(6)?=?43.48, p? less then ?.001, φ?=?0.29. Majority of respondents (n?=?287, 55.5%) volunteered in clinical and non-clinical settings. A lower proportion of fourth-year (n?=?12, 2.3%) and first-year students (n?=?50, 9.7%) volunteered than expected. Likelihood to volunteer during a pandemic varied by gender, training year, and/or prior experience with disaster event depending on the type of volunteer-site setting. Our findings suggest socio-demographic factors may impact medical student engagement and volunteerism during a public health crisis. Educational leadership should be sensitive to such variations and can facilitate volunteer activities that allow student engagement during future pandemics.The introduction of emtricitabine/tenofovir diphosphate (FTC/TDF) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention has raised questions regarding which clinicians will serve as prescribers and how providers will be educated about this HIV prevention strategy. We piloted an HIV Prevention Education Program called PrEP University (PrEP U) to address knowledge gaps in HIV prevention among medical trainees. We examined PrEP awareness and assessed learning as a result of the program, measuring knowledge before and after the lectures with an anonymous 5-question multiple choice test. A total of 198 learners participated in PrEP University, which included 127 first year medical students, and post-graduate trainees in internal medicine (n?=?23), family medicine (n?=?16), OBGYN (n?=?13) and pharmacy (n?=?19). Prior to PrEP U, 27% of all participants were not aware of PrEP and an additional 8% were unsure if they had heard of it. Knowledge increased significantly after the education program among trainees in OBGYN (2.